BASEBALL

REPORT: METS CLOSE ON DEAL TO TRADE CAMERON FOR NADY

The Mets are close to acquiring utility player Xavier Nady from San Diego for outfielder Mike Cameron, a baseball official with knowledge of the deal told the Associated Press yesterday. Before the deal is finalized, the Padres apparently want to make sure Cameron’s vision is okay following a face-to-face collision with Mets teammate Carlos Beltran in the outfield at San Diego’s Petco Park on August 11 that ended Cameron’s season. Nady hit .261 with 13 home runs, 43 RBI, and a .321 on-base average for the Padres last year, and would probably take over at first base for the Mets.

SOCCER

CZECH REPUBLIC, T&T AMONG FINAL WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS

Trinidad and Tobago and the Czech Republic advanced to the World Cup for the first time yesterday, the final day of qualifying that began 26 months ago. Spain qualified for its eighth straight tournament as the final five berths in the 32-nation field were filled, while Switzerland ousted Turkey, a 2002 semifinalist, and Australia beat Uruguay to advance for the first time since 1974 and become the first nation to qualify for a World Cup in a penalty-kick shootout.

The qualifiers will be drawn into eight four-team groups on December 9 at Leipzig, Germany. Next year’s tournament runs from June 9 to July 9.

Trinidad and Tobago won 1-0 at Bahrain to win the home-and-home, total-goals series 2-1 and become the fourth team in the tournament from North and Central America and the Caribbean.

FOOTBALL

KANSAS CITY AWARDED CONDITIONAL SUPER BOWL

NFL owners voted yesterday to tentatively award Kansas City a Super Bowl, largely as a tribute to owner Lamar Hunt, who gave the game its name.

The award comes with one giant string attached: improvements to Arrowhead Stadium, including a rolling roof to keep out the February cold. The team estimates the cost of the roof alone at $100 million to $200 million – and that’s not counting $300 million or so the Chiefs say they need in stadium upgrades.

The approval is for a 10-year window, starting in 2011, but Hunt said the most likely prospects would be for the 49th or 51st Super Bowl, after the 2014 or 2016 seasons.

– Associated Press